Add to list World Heritage UNESCO amphitheater in the city El Jem(Mahdia Governorate) was included in 1979.

Sometimes this amphitheater is called the Tunisian Colosseum, which is fundamentally incorrect - there is only one Colosseum and it is located in Rome. Amphitheater in El Djeme is considered the third in size - inferior to the Roman and amphitheater of the city of Capua (a city and fortress in Southern Italy), but it is better preserved than them. This is one of the most visited attractions in Tunisia.

The town of El-Jem itself is nothing interesting - about 20,000 people, whose main occupation is agriculture. Tourists in El Jem are attracted by the amphitheater, archaeological museum and excavation area - the ancient Roman city of Tizdr was once here.

The large flow of tourists did not have the best effect on local residents: Souvenirs here are offered at the highest prices in Tunisia, and the sellers can compete with those in the Medinas in their importunity.

Amphitheater in El Djeme towers over the city, it is visible from anywhere, it is impossible to get lost here.

A little history of the amphitheater in El Jem

Without going into details, just a few facts about the Colosseum in Tunisia:

• was built in 238 AD;
• occupies an area of ​​137,000 m² - the amphitheater itself, 2,642,000 m² - together with the buffer zone;
• capacity - about 35,000 people;
• dimensions - 148 m (major axis) and 122 m (minor axis), circumference - 427 m, height - 36 m;
• Stone blocks were used for construction, without a foundation; the wall with stands, the arena and underground passages are in excellent condition.

Over the years of its existence, the Colosseum in El Djeme performed a different role - a place of entertainment (remember from the school course - “bread and circuses”?), a fortress (in 430 they defended themselves from Vandals, in 647 and 699 - from the Arabs, in 1695 - from the Turks). At the beginning of the 17th century, part of the stonework of the amphitheater was taken to Kairouan - the Great Mosque was being restored here at that time.

Only after Tunisia became a French colony did archaeologists pay attention to the amphitheater and excavations began here in 1904. In 1974, restoration work began here: structures, seats for spectators, and basements were restored. Since 1985, the Colosseum in El Jem has become the venue for the annual International Symphonic Music Festival.

What to see at the El Jema Amphitheater

The entrance to the amphitheater is from the south and this is the best point for viewing the general plan. Going down to the arena, feel the amphitheater in all its glory - stands for spectators, a box for the emperor, a corridor leading to underground structures, figured holes - drains for blood. In the underground part of the Colosseum you can see the cells in which animals and prisoners were kept, who were put up against the gladiators.

In the southern part of the amphitheater, you can climb up the stairs to the upper tiers, from where you can enjoy magnificent views of the surrounding area.

The museum is within walking distance of the amphitheater in El Jem (about 10 minutes on foot), and next to it is an excavation area.

A ticket to the amphitheater in El Jem gives access to the museum. Experts recommend visiting the museum first and only then the excavation area.

The museum was built on the site of a reconstructed ancient Roman villa - a courtyard surrounded on all sides by a colonnade (peristyle), the main premises containing collections of mosaics, sculptures, and ceramics.

The collection of the archaeological museum in El Jem is noticeably inferior to that of the Bardo Museum. However, if time permits, do not leave this museum without attention - here you can see not only elements of everyday life in an ancient Roman villa, but also a small collection of objects demonstrating the variety of crafts in Ancient Rome(in the new wing of the museum.)

Directly from the museum, go to the excavation area: a reconstruction of the home of a wealthy patrician, two well-preserved villas (the House of the Peacock and the House of Sollertian), mosaic sidewalks - there is a lot to see.

Entrance fees to the amphitheater and museum in El Jem

• Entrance – 10 TND (children under 12 years old – free)
• Photo and video shooting – 1TND

A visit to the amphitheater in El Jem is included in the program of a two-day excursion to the Sahara (cost 110 - 120 $, depending on the resort and the pricing policy of the tour operator) or a one-day excursion “El Jem and Kairouan” (the name may differ, but the program will be the same, cost 50 – 70$). You can find current prices for excursions in the corresponding section of the website.

Opening hours

summer: 08:00 – 18:30

winter: 08:00 – 17:30

During Ramadan, the amphitheater and museum are open to the public until 17:00.

Location of the amphitheater and museum in El Jem

El Jem, L’Amphitheatre – amphitheater

Route de Sfax (road to Sfax) – museum

+216 22 111 111

You can find and book an inexpensive tour to Tunisia using the following services: And . The search for tours is carried out using databases of 130 tour operators online. Compare prices, choose best options. You don't have to go to a travel agency office to arrange a trip.

Distance from main resorts

• Hammamet – 155 km
• Sousse, El Kantaoui – 64 km
• Monastir – 65 km
• Mahdia – 43 km

How to get to El Jem on your own

If you visit the Colosseum in El Djeme within organized excursion, then the question “how to get there” is not before you, but you need to know that no more than an hour and a half will be allocated to explore the amphitheater; you will not be able to see the museum and the excavation area.

For those who vacation in Sousse hotels, Port of El Kantaoui, Monastir and, especially, Mahdia, you can get to El Jem on your own without any problems:

• taxi is the easiest way, however, despite the affordable tariffs of Tunisian taxis, the cost of the trip will be in the range of 150 - 200 TND (round trip with waiting);
• Luages ​​are the most convenient and cheap way from Mahdia (for 2017 - 3TND one way), it is more convenient to get to the Luazhei station by taxi (3-5TND), minibuses depart when full, usually at intervals of 15-25 minutes, travel time 30 - 35 minutes;
• train - this option will be the most convenient and cheapest for those who live in hotels in Sousse, Port El Kantaoui and Monastir; need to go with railway station Sousse Ville (near the Medina), travel time will be about an hour, trip cost from 4.5 TND (depending on the class, see more about trains in Tunisia); From the railway station to the amphitheater it’s about 10 minutes on foot (it’s clearly visible, it’s impossible to get lost).

From Hammamet independent trip It will be quite tiring, but if you decide to go, you will have to go through Sousse.

The best option would be to travel by rented car, especially if you combine it with exploring Kairouan. See current prices for car rental in Tunisia.

From Zarzis and Djerba independent trip to El Jem on public transport too tiring, a taxi ride is expensive, so it would be advisable to either buy a two-day excursion to the Sahara (one-day options El Jem + Kairouan are not offered at these resorts) or rent a car.

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Sights of El Jem

In the past, El-Jem (translated as “crossroads”) was part of the Roman state, whose territories began to belong to Tunisia. As a result of recent excavations, this ancient city, located 40 km from Mahdia.

The main attraction of this African city is the ancient Roman Colosseum, one of the three largest (it accommodated 30 thousand people). And for the safety of this historical monument belongs to first place.

A traveler's favorite pastime is walking along the arched passages of the Colosseum, viewing the panorama of the city from the upper tiers, enjoying the acoustics from the arena, visiting underground rooms, etc. The southern side of the amphitheater has retained its original appearance, which cannot be said about the northern side.

Not far from the amphitheater there is an archaeological museum. His collections include mosaics discovered in private villas surrounding the Colosseum. More recently, Villa Africa was excavated. This is the clearest example of the housing of the most prosperous ancient Romans. Its floor is decorated with luxurious mosaics.

Search for a map of a city, village, region or country

El Jem. Yandex map.

Allows you to: change the scale; measure distances; switch display modes - diagram, satellite view, hybrid. The Yandex maps mechanism is used, it contains: districts, street names, house numbers and other objects of cities and large villages, allows you to perform search by address(square, avenue, street + house number, etc.), for example: “Lenin St. 3”, “El Jem Hotel”, etc.

If you don't find something, try the section Google satellite map: El Jem or a vector map from OpenStreetMap: El Jem .

Link to the object you selected on the map can be sent by e-mail, icq, sms or posted on the website. For example, to show a meeting place, delivery address, location of a store, cinema, train station, etc.: combine the object with the marker in the center of the map, copy the link on the left above the map and send it to the recipient - according to the marker in the center, he will determine the location you specified .

El Jem - online map with satellite view: streets, houses, areas and other objects.

To change the scale, use the mouse scroll wheel, the “+ -” slider on the left, or the “Zoom in” button in the upper left corner of the map; to view a satellite view or a people's map, select the appropriate menu item in the upper right corner; to measure the distance, click the ruler at the bottom right and plot the points on the map.